FAQs

Please see COVID-19 Update for changes to the 2020-21 cycle.

Students who are not named QuestBridge finalists for the National College Match can apply to Princeton through Regular Decision. 

QuestBridge finalists who submitted the required materials but did not match with Princeton or another binding institution will automatically be considered in our Regular Decision process. These students will be notified of our decisions along with all other Regular Decision applicants. Princeton will make decisions available at the end of March or beginning of April. 

Yes. Students can apply for aid at any point during their time at Princeton. An explanation of the change in circumstances may be required.

Yes. Though standardized tests results will not be required for fall entry 2023, 2024 and 2025, we still value these results and will evaluate them within the context of our holistic review. However, if you do not submit standardized testing, you will not be at a disadvantage.

At Princeton, we are committed to meeting 100 percent of the calculated need of each aid applicant based on an individual evaluation by a financial aid counselor. We make this determination using the information you provide on your financial aid application. Learn more about aid awards in the Undergraduate Financial Aid Information and Application Instructions, which is accessible through the Apply for Financial Aid page. You may also use the Princeton Financial Aid Estimator to see how much aid might be offered based on your particular situation.

Princeton will consider the highest individual section results across all sittings of the SAT and the highest composite score for the ACT. We will only accept a composite from an entire sitting of the ACT. We will not consider scores when a student retakes an individual section of the ACT. Additionally, we do not superscore between the paper test and the digital test; you can only utilize score choice if the tests are in the same format.

Yes. If you are deferred, your application will automatically be rolled over into our regular decision process and considered again in the context of that pool. In recent years, a small number of applicants who were deferred have been subsequently admitted during the regular decision process.  

If you submitted all of the required components of your application, we have everything we need for consideration. If you have a significant update, you may add the new information to your file through the applicant portal or by email to uaoffice@princeton.edu.

No. Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents can file a FAFSA.

If you ranked Princeton but didn’t match with Princeton, you will automatically be considered for Regular Decision unless you withdraw your application. If you match with a binding school, your application will not be considered in Regular Decision.

No. We do not have a formula for weighting different parts of the application. While the transcript is the most important part of an application, we consider all of the components of each application and consider each applicant’s particular strengths.